In the area of x-ray imaging, in particular in the medical area, what is referred to as the Talbot effect is used in some cases. This enables more precise image information to be generated, in that the contrast of the images created is improved by incorporating a phase shift of the x-rays caused by an examination object. In such cases a so-called (x-ray) phase contrast grating is regularly used, with is introduced into the beam path. Such a grating is usually formed in this case by lamellae aligned in the direction of the x-ray radiation and made from an x-ray absorbing material. Usually the wall thickness and the distances of these lamellae from one another lie in the one to low two-digit millimeter range. Also the thickness (or: height) of the grating as a whole in the irradiated area usually lies at a maximum of one millimeter. Thus such a contrast phase grating involves a microstructure component.
Because of the small dimensions, these phase contrast gratings are mostly produced by etching methods in silicon wafers and subsequent filling of the etched recesses with x-ray absorbing material for embodying the lamellae. This is known for example from DE 10 2015 201 741 A1.